Maria Sharapova struggled for nearly three-and-a-half hours in 40-plus Celsius hothouse conditions, calling upon all of her reserves in a 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 second-round defeat of Karin Knapp on Thursday at the Australian Open.
With the hottest conditions in a century by the third day, and at least another day to endure, officials finally invoked their extreme heat policy as four-time grand slam winner Sharapova fought for survival against her Italian opponent.
The decision stopped play on outside courts, with ongoing matches being played only to the end of the set. Play was to continue on the showcourt with moveable roofs — Rod Lacver and Hisense Arenas — with their roofs to be closed for ensuing matches.
Melbourne has sweltered in temperatures of more than 40 degrees for four days in a row, conditions not experienced in 100 years.
Sharapova, the 2008 champion who won a similar match 9-7 in the third at the event in 2007, said it was a matter of survival after she needed four match points to close out the struggle.
“It was tough for both of us, we fought as hard as we could,” said the third seed. “We both had chances. I knew I had to win a few more points in the end. I was trying.
“I remember the heat in 2007 but I’m feeling much better in it now. It’s all about recovery, but these are the matches you work for.” Sharapova is playing her first grand slam since Wimbledon last summer when she was beaten early with the shoulder injury which kept her out of action until earlier this month.
New Dutch coach Sven Groeneveld was watching nervously as his charge won with 67 unforced errors, breaks on seven of 20 chances and despite a dozen double-faults — including three in one late game.
Sharapova and Knapp played on in the non-tiebreak third set for 45 minutes after the heat rule was put into effect.
The Russian missed her chance to close out leading 5-4 in the third set, going wrong on her first three match points in a game marred by two double-faults.
Romanian 11th seed Simona Halep earned a win in another dramatic encounter as opponent Varvara Lepchenko was treated by a doctors and had her blood pressure read while stretched out on changeover chairs mid-match after being rubbed with ice to lower her body temperature.
Halep prevailed 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 as she won 14 of 15 games at one point in what turned into a rout.
Spanish 16th seed Carla Suarez Navarro beat Galina Voskoboeva, Kazakhstan, 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 8-6 while Kazah Zarina Diyas put out New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-4, 6-0. Elina Svitolina stopped Australian Olivia Rogowska 6-4, 7-5.
Dominika Cibulkova crushed Swiss Stefanie Voegele 6-0, 6-1 and Frenchwoman Alize Cornet shed tears of joy after beating Camila Giorgi 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
In the men’s draw, Japanese 16th seed snuck in a quick win over Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3).